Genetic causes of obesity: mapping a path forward

Over the past 30 years, significant progress has been made in understanding the genetic causes of obesity. In the coming years, catalogs that map each genetic variant to its genomic function are expected to accelerate variant-to-function (V2F) translation. Given that obesity is a heterogeneous disease, research will have to move beyond body mass index (BMI). Gene discovery efforts for more refined adiposity traits are poised to reveal additional genetic loci, pointing to new biological mechanisms. Obesity genetics research is reaching unprecedented heights and, along with a renewed interest in the development of weight-loss medication, it holds the potential to identify new drug targets. Polygenic scores (PGSs) that predict obesity risk are expected to further improve and will be particularly valuable early in life for timely prevention.